- Museum number
- 1960,1115.7
- Description
-
Head of a man wearing a cap
Black chalk
Verso: Head of a woman, to front and inclined to left
Black chalk
- Production date
- 1484-1523
- Dimensions
-
Height: 222 millimetres
-
Width: 163 millimetres
- Curator's comments
- Lit.: A.E. Popham, 'Catalogue of Drawings in the Collection formed by Sir Thomas Phillipps, Bart., F.R.S., now in the possession of his Grandson, T. Fitzroy Phillipps Fenwick of Thirlestaine House, Cheltenham', I, London, 1935, p. 94, no. 12 (as After Raphael); P. Pouncey and J.A. Gere, 'Italian Drawings in the BM, Raphael and His Circle', London, 1962, I, no. 290 (with previous literature), II, pl. 272; G. Moroni, 'Timoteo Viti nell'ambiente artistico urbinate tra Quattrocento e Cinquecento', Urbino, 2007, p. 238
Pouncey & Gere 1962
In the Lawrence-Woodburn Sale attributed to Timoteo Viti. Popham describes the recto as a copy of Raphael's portrait of Castiglione ; but, as Colvin (BM 'Guide') pointed out, 1960,1115.7 corresponds with the so-called self-portrait of Viti, 1860,0616.95. The connection between the two was already known to the Marchese Antaldi in 1822 (see 1860,0616.95). Colvin's hesitation in accepting 1860,0616.95. as from Viti's hand was to some extent allayed by 1960,1115.7, the traditional attribution of which seemed to him correct. In our opinion 1960,1115.7 is not only a copy, but a loose and superficial one, perhaps even by the 'Calligraphic Forger' (cf. 1946,0713.502) : the handling of the chalk seems compatible with his penmanship and the possibility of his being the copyist is strengthened by the fact that both drawings came from the Antaldi Collection. The verso is more likely therefore to be after a lost Madonna study, presumably by Raphael, in the Antaldi Collection, than after the head of the 'Madonna di Loreto' as Popham supposed.
Literature: BM Guide, 1895, under no. 96; Popham, Fenwick, p. 94, no. 12.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1960
- Acquisition notes
- Donated in 1946 but only registered in 1960
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1960,1115.7
